Harness



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

- W. A FLEMING.

HARNESS.

Patented Dec. 18, 1894.

ATT El RN EY.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. A. FLEMING. V

HARNESS.

' No. 531,172. Patented Dec. 18,1894.

mlllmm'l WITNES5E5= ATTORNEY.

UN T D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILL A. FLEMING, OF SAN FRANCISCO, oALIFoRmA;

HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,172, dated December 18, 1894.

l 7 Application filed August 9, 1894:. Serial No. 519,854- (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, WILL A. FLEMING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harness, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in harness attachments; and the main object of the invention is'to overcome the objections which are commonly made against the overhead check, and to provide what I have termed a head rest by which a horses head can be maintained in the desired elevated position without discomfort to the animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment by which the driver is enabled to have more perfect control of the horse than is possible with any of the forms of checks at present in use.

With these ends in view my improved attachment consists essentially of two right angled side pieces adapted to be supported on opposite sides of a horses head, by means of a band or strap extending across the animals face, said side pieces being adjustably connected together and provided at their upper ends with means for attachment to a suitable check rein, and a chin strap connecting the forward ends of the side piece.

My invention further consists in thepeculiar construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully p'binted out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views of parts of the device.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designatesthe side pieces of my improved attachment. These pieces, which are preferably made of metal, are each composed of two arms, a, a, extending substantially at right angles to each other, and preferably cast or otherwise formed integral one with the other. The arms, a, of the side pieces are connected by a curved cross piece, B, the ends of which are preferably threaded and passing through aligned apertures in the arms, a, are held in position by nuts, 0. The apertures through which the ends of the curved cross piece, B, extend are slightly larger than the threaded ends of the curved cross piece so that said pieces may be adjusted laterally on said ends as pivots for a limited distance.

The curved cross piece, B, is provided near "outer faces or sides of saidarms.

Byturning the nuts, F, G, the upper ends of the arms, a, of the side pieces can be drawn toward or moved away from each other to increase or diminish the width of the space between the arms, a, to correspond to the size of the head of the animal on which it is desired to use the attachment.

The upper ends of the arms, a, of the side pieces are preferably enlarged and in each of said enlarged ends 'is formed a transverse slot, H, designed to have one end of a bifurcated check rein, K, passed therethrough.

The arms, a, extend on opposite sides of the arms, a, and near their forward and rear ends, respectively, are provided with longitudinally extending slots, L, M.

When the device is in use the arms, a, extend along the sides of the animals head and the attachment is supported in position Joy arms, a, and the check rein, K, and also by a nose strap, N, the ends of which are attached to the arms, a, in rear of the arms, a, by being passed through the slots, M,therein.

The animals head is supported by a chin strap, 0, which is attached to the arms, a, and passes through the slots, L,near the forward ends thereof. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the chin strap, 0, is arranged to pass across the inner faces of the arms, a, between the lower edges thereof and the slots, L, so that said armswill be held away from and cannotinjure the-animals head. If desired the chin strap, 0, may be connected by means of a strap, P, with the throat latch of the bridle. The chin and nose straps are adjustably connected to the arms, a, preferably by means of suitable buckles so that the device can be easily adjusted to fit animals with heads of diiferent sizes. The arms, a, a, are further connected and braced by means of inclined braces, Q, attached at their forward, lower ends to lugs or ears, R, formed integral with the arms, a, and having their upper ends passed through suitable openings in the arms, a, near the upper ends thereof.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple and efiicient head rest which can be easily applied to or removed from a horses head and adjusted to fit the head of the horse. When in use the horses head will be maintained in an elevated position without discomfort to the animal and the driver can have more perfect control of the horse than is possible with the forms of checks at present in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A harness attachment consisting of two right angle shaped side pieces, each composed of two arms extending substantially at right angles to each other, one arm of each side piece being adapted for connection to a check rein, the curved cross piece connecting the side pieces, adjustable connections between said side pieces, and two straps connecting the side pieces and arranged to extend above and below the head of the horse on which the attachment is placed, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

2. A harness attachment consisting of two right angled side pieces adapted to be connected to a check rein, a cross-piece or bar arranged between and having its ends extending through aligned openings in the side pieces, an adjusting bar connected to the cross-piece orbarand having its ends threaded and extending through aligned openings in the side pieces, lock nuts secured on the threaded ends of the adjusting bar and bearing against both faces of each side piece, and straps connecting the side pieces and arranged to extend above and below the head of the horse on which the attachment is placed, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

3. A harness attachment consisting of two side pieces, each composed of two arms arranged substantially at right angles to each other, one arm of each side piece being provided with means for attachment to a check rein, adjustable connections between said arms, a nose strap having its ends extending through slots in the other arms of the side pieces, a chin strap extending through slots in said arms on the opposite sides of the other arms from the nose strap, and inclined brace rods connecting the arms of the side pieces, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this 18th day of June, 1894:, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

WVILL A. FLEMING.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM MURRAY, J. H. NEAL. 

